Quality and quantity of bioethanol produced from brewing banana varieties of <i>Musa acuminate</i> cultivars

Brewing banana cultivars (Musa acuminata) grown in the Kagera region of Tanzania typically avoided as staple foods due to their unpleasant taste were investigated as a sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production. This study aimed to evaluate the sugar content and alcohol yield of juice extracted from eight banana varieties and assess their potential for commercial and domestic applications. Concentrated juice mixtures 2 and 1 exhibited significantly higher total soluble solids (23.25 ± 0.2 and 23.08 ± 0.15°Brix, respectively; p ≤ 0.05), while Kilomita showed the highest °Brix in diluted juice (14.42 ± 0.20). Initial bioethanol yields ranged from 10.5 ± 0.22% to 39.7 ± 0.21% v/v, which increased to 80% v/v after re-distillation. The resulting bioethanol is suitable for use in beverages, cooking, lighting, and fuel applications. These findings demonstrate that bioethanol production from brewing bananas is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, offering a viable alternative energy source without competing with food supply chains.